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P 120923Z DEC 07
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UNCLAS VIENNA 002928 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: December 11, 2007 
 
Buchinger Hopeful the OeVP Will "Come to Its Senses" 
 
¶1. ... regarding the issue of private home nursing care for the sick 
and elderly, Austrian media report. Speaking on ORF television, 
Erwin Buchinger, the Social Affairs Minister from the SPOe, said he 
was "displeased" with his party's coalition partner OeVP for 
"playing a double game" on the issue. The Minister expressed his 
outrage over the fact that in Parliament, the People's Party had 
"voted in favor of the reform package" for private nursing care 
together with the SPOe, while "at the same time they are protesting 
against the measures outside Parliament." Criticizing what he 
describes as the OeVP's "contradictory" position on the issue of 
private home nursing care for the sick and elderly, Social Affairs 
Minister Erwin Buchinger said on ORF TV's late night news Zeit im 
Bild II yesterday that hopefully the People's Party will "come to 
its senses," use "moderation" in its statements and "implement the 
joint agreements" reached in cooperation with its coalition partner. 
The current dispute had emerged when the OeVP moved to oppose the 
SPOe's push to end the "amnesty" for not officially registered 
nursing personnel by the end of 2007. However, liberal daily Der 
Standard runs the front-page headline "Nursing care chaos in the 
coalition," and reports that the "SPOe and the OeVP are threatening 
each other" and "are calling for the respective other party to pay 
for the expenses." 
 
 
Guilty Pleas in AMIS Trial 
 
¶2. A major trial involving thousands of investors who lost money in 
the collapse of the financial services provider AMIS got underway on 
Monday. Because of the large number of claimants, around 15,000 
represented by 80 lawyers, the hearing is taking place in a major 
conference center in Vienna. The prosecution is expected to allege 
that five former managers of AMIS are guilty of gross professional 
misconduct causing investor losses of around 60 million Euros. Three 
of the former managers have confessed that they are guilty, says ORF 
TV's prime time news Zeit im Bild I on Monday. 
 
 
"Ten Finger Scans for Trip to US" 
 
¶3. ... says a leading Austrian provincial daily. According to the 
newspaper, the United States has implemented its plan to further 
tighten immigration procedures for visitors from Visa Waiver (VWP) 
countries. As of now, travelers arriving at Washington DC airports 
will have ten instead of two finger scans taken. US Homeland 
Security Secretary Michael Chertoff inaugurated the finger-scanning 
equipment in Washington on Monday, announcing that the new security 
system will be installed at all US airports by end 2008, according 
to independent provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten. 
 
 
First OSCE Report on Human Rights 
 
¶4. A leading Austrian daily says that US Ambassador to the OSCE 
Julie Finley "lost her cool," in the face of the fact that Russia 
and other former Soviet states simply ignored the presentation and 
significance of a report on patterns of human rights violations 
against those defending such rights. The report was presented on 
Monday, International Human Rights Day, by the Vienna-based OSCE's 
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). On 
International Human Rights Day the Vienna based OSCE's Office for 
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has put out a 
report on patterns of human rights violations against those 
defending such rights. In the report, the first of its kind, the 
ODIHR has examined patterns of human rights violations in the OSCE 
area from April 2006 to April 2007. Liberal daily Der Standard 
writes that US Ambassador to the OSCE Julie Finley, "a highly 
dedicated diplomat," obviously felt the blatant disregard of Russia 
and other former Soviet states of OSCE report's presentation was 
"the last straw." She "angrily demanded whether 'anyone in the 
audience did perhaps have a problem with human rights,'" the 
Standard quoted. Her inquiry was met with uncomfortable silence, 
according to the daily. Like the Standard, semi-official daily 
Wiener Zeitung says the report has identified four areas as being of 
particular concern: continuing physical attacks on human rights 
defenders; the curtailment of the freedom of association; the 
failure to respect and protect freedom of assembly; and restrictions 
placed on the freedom of movement and the right to liberty. 
Commenting on the role of human rights defenders, ODIHR Director, 
Ambassador Christian Strohal said: "They are at the forefront of 
efforts to secure human rights and hold governments to account. 
Human rights defenders are the lifeblood of a vibrant civil society 
and are the essence of any democratic society. They serve as our 
collective conscience." Strohal, an Austrian diplomat, underscored 
that "what we hope to see now is concrete follow up to these 
recommendations by OSCE states." 
 
 
Kosovo Expects Freedom by May 
 
¶5. A spokesman for the government in Kosovo says the province 
expects to win independence from Serbia before May 2008. The 
statement came after a meeting of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian 
leadership, on the day a UN deadline expired for agreement on the 
province's future status. Spokesman Skender Hyseni said Kosovo will 
look at its own agenda in the matter and added that independence 
might be realized even earlier than May, reports semi-official daily 
Wiener Zeitung. 
 
 
Putin Names Successor 
 
¶6. Russian President Vladimir Putin has named Dmitry Medvedev as his 
chosen successor, thus bringing to an end years of speculation about 
who might come next. Putin's support has put Medvedev, who had been 
listed among the possible front-runners, in the strongest possible 
position ahead of the March 2008 presidential election in Russia. 
Medvedev, a long-term ally of Putin, is a member of the circle of 
powerful Russians who began their careers in St. Petersburg. 
According to Austrian radio, Putin, who has described Medvedev as 
the "best possible candidate," apparently feels certain that his 
choice guarantees his political legacy will be upheld. The 
opposition parties, as expected, have criticized the announcement, 
describing the Russian President's candidate the "worst possible 
option." All Austrian media report on President Vladimir Putin's 
announcement Monday, expressing his support for First Deputy Prime 
Minister Dmitry Medvedev as his successor. Semi-official daily 
Wiener Zeitung says that Putin has "let the cat out of the bag," and 
thus "ended the speculation regarding his successor." Centrist daily 
Die Presse in a front-page report headlines "42-year-old to succeed 
Putin," and suggests this particular "changing of the guards" in 
Russia "has come as a surprise." The daily point out that Medvedev 
is not a member of the Kremlin's intelligence service faction, which 
"makes power struggles all the more likely." Similarly, liberal 
daily Der Standard reports of "nervous tension in the Kremlin:" 
Following months of speculation, the Russian President has nominated 
Medvedev, but "not all of Putin's staff can be counted on to back 
his chosen successor." However, the daily suggests, the First Deputy 
Prime Minister is "the perfect option, if Putin intends to return to 
power." 
Kilner